MY PLACE | MY STORY

On September 13th, 10 teen filmmakers had the opportunity to screen their work at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center for an enthusiastic audience of family, friends, and film lovers. These 10 middle school and high school students created short autobiographical films through CFI Education’s My Place | My Story program. My Place | My Story is a free, five-day intensive digital storytelling workshop for youth that integrates the craft of filmmaking and the art of storytelling, empowering young people to create and share their own stories with their community. The only criterion for the short film that each participant produces is that the story be a personal one that comes from their own lived experiences.

One young filmmaker, Kai, shared the meaning and impact of the meals that have been delivered to his family since his father’s debilitating stroke. His film, Powerful Provisions, provides a window into his experience and the impact of a caring community as well as local nonprofit Ceres. Watch Kai’s short film below.

A few days after the screening, we received this email from Kai’s mother:

“After the showing, all four members of my family were approached by various community members who shared their personal extractions from Kai’s film. … we shared how much an event like this can shatter long held relationships in terms of friends and family. By the next morning, news had reached another mom at Kai’s former school who had heard about the movie from another parent who had attended the screening and, sight unseen, wanted me to share the film with the school to highlight the importance of coordinating meal delivery for families at the school when there is a need. And this morning, Ceres has sent out a message to their subscriber list with a link to Kai’s film to help recruit much needed teen and adult volunteers. One test of good storytelling is that multiple meanings can be inferred and are unique to each viewer. That is a ‘powerful provision’ that this teen program and CFI has provided to our family and community.”

Kai’s film is a beautiful example of the power of film to tell stories and create change. CFI Education is proud to support Marin’s next generation of filmmakers.